Contrary to insinuations that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee was planning to extend its tenure, chairman of the committee and Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, yesterday said only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party has the power to extend the tenure of the caretaker committee.
Buni’s clarification is coming just as President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the registration of new members for the ruling party.
The president gave the approval yesterday when Governor Buni-led committee submitted the timetable for party registration to him.
Buni disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting with the president at the presidential villa, Abuja.
According to him, while the president’s approval is “in accordance of section 9.4 of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress (October 2014 as Amended), the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee consulted all stakeholders and have organized for membership registration”.
The said Section 9.4 stipulates: “A register of members shall be compiled and maintained at the ward level and be transmitted to the Secretariat of the Party at the local government area, which shall transmit a copy to the State Headquarters, National Secretariat. Provided that the Party shall update its membership records every six months and remit updated copies to appropriate Secretariats. Thereafter, it shall be the responsibility of a member to ensure that his or her name is duly entered in the ward register.”
Buni said the committee is continuing with the reconciliation efforts and is proud of the work done to secure Ondo State for the party and the return of high profile members such as former Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and Senator Barnabas Gemade, to the party.
Governor Buni while debunking the rumours of the plot by the committee to elongate its tenure expressed optimism that the national executive committee will meet before the end of the year to work out a proper timetable for the party.
On the 14-day ultimatum given to the committee to step down by some members of the party, Buni stated that while everyone has the freedom of expression, the national executive committee has issued no ultimatum to the caretaker committee.
He, however, was not definitive on when the party convention is likely to hold, but said “it will happen soon.”
He said, “Yes, we attended the launch of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) programme, National Young Farmers Scheme. Thereafter, we had a meeting with Mr. President. It was purely consultative and in line with the assignment given to us by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party under the able leadership of Mr President. “It is to consult with him on the process of the membership registration. As from today, we are commencing with sensitization.
Thereafter, it will culminate into membership registration across over 119,000 polling units in the country. It is part of our mandate as bestowed on us by National Executive Committee to rebuild this party bottom up.
“I have to read the Section of the APC Constitution to you to clearly understand where we are coming from. In accordance of section 9.4 of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress (October 2014 as
Amended), The Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee consulted all stakeholders and have organised for membership registration. The said Section 9.4 provide as follows: A Register of members shall be compiled and maintained at the Ward Level and be transmitted to the Secretariat of the Party at the Local Government Area, which shall transmit a copy to the State Headquarters, National Secretariat provided that the Party shall
update its membership records every six months and remit updated copies to appropriate Secretariats. Thereafter, it shall be the responsibility of a member to ensure that his or her name is duly entered in the Ward Register.
“So, this is the constitutional provision of our party in line with our membership registration.
“You are all aware. We have three sitting governors in the committee. And you should know that none of the governors is seeking for job. Already, we have a job. But we have to sacrifice to ensure that we reposition the party.
“So, anybody who is thinking that maybe we are job seekers is wrong. We are not job seekers. We are here to reposition and reunite our party so that we have a party we can all be proud of. “This is our mandate and we are ready to discharge our mandate. That (tenure elongation) is left for NEC of the party to decide. It is not me or caretaker committee to decide. We are operating within the limit
of our assignment because NEC of the party said we must rebuild the party bottom up….So, it is not for us to say that we are extending (tenure)”.
On his part, Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, dismissed insinuations that the caretaker committee was planning to extend its tenure. He said, “You may also recall that 2 days before the caretaker committee was saddled with the responsibility of leading the party, the party lost a serving governor to the opposition. So the chairman (caretaker committee) came at the time when the morale was weak, but the committee worked so hard, including wining the Ondo State gubernatorial election with the reconciliation of members and the national executive committee meeting that ushered in the caretaker committee did not give a definite date.
“We are conscious that these assignments will unfold and intervening circumstances across the country has made it more difficult, but certainly they are not people that are not seeking for appointments or seeking to stay, particularly the chairman. The sacrifices in Yobe and daunting challenges he faces and he will rather remain there every day.”
By Jonathan Nda- Isaiah, Abuja
Contrary to insinuations that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee was planning to extend its tenure, chairman of the committee and Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, yesterday said only the National
Executive Committee (NEC) of the party has the power to extend the tenure of the caretaker committee.
Buni’s clarification is coming just as President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the registration of new members for the ruling party.
The president gave the approval yesterday when Governor Buni-led committee submitted the timetable for party registration to him.
Buni disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting with the president at the presidential villa, Abuja.
According to him, while the president’s approval is “in accordance of section 9.4 of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress (October 2014 as Amended), the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee consulted all stakeholders and have organized for membership registration”.
The said Section 9.4 stipulates: “A register of members shall be compiled and maintained at the ward level and be transmitted to the Secretariat of the Party at the local government area, which shall transmit a copy to the State Headquarters, National Secretariat. Provided that the Party shall update its membership records every six months and remit updated copies to appropriate Secretariats. Thereafter, it shall be the responsibility of a member to ensure that his or her name is duly entered in the ward register.”
Buni said the committee is continuing with the reconciliation efforts and is proud of the work done to secure Ondo State for the party and the return of high profile members such as former Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and Senator Barnabas Gemade, to the party.
Governor Buni while debunking the rumours of the plot by the committee to elongate its tenure expressed optimism that the national executive committee will meet before the end of the year to work out a proper timetable for the party.
On the 14-day ultimatum given to the committee to step down by some members of the party, Buni stated that while everyone has the freedom of expression, the national executive committee has issued no ultimatum to the caretaker committee.
He, however, was not definitive on when the party convention is likely to hold, but said “it will happen soon.”
He said, “Yes, we attended the launch of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) programme, National Young Farmers Scheme. Thereafter, we had a meeting with Mr. President. It was purely consultative and in line with the assignment given to us by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party under the able leadership of Mr President. “It is to consult with him on the process of the membership registration. As from today, we are commencing with sensitization.
Thereafter, it will culminate into membership registration across over 119,000 polling units in the country. It is part of our mandate as bestowed on us by National Executive Committee to rebuild this party bottom up.
“I have to read the Section of the APC Constitution to you to clearly understand where we are coming from. In accordance of section 9.4 of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress (October 2014 as
Amended), The Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee consulted all stakeholders and have organised for membership registration. The said Section 9.4 provide as follows: A Register of members shall be compiled and maintained at the Ward Level and be transmitted to the Secretariat of the Party at the Local Government Area, which shall transmit a copy to the State Headquarters, National Secretariat provided that the Party shall
update its membership records every six months and remit updated copies to appropriate Secretariats. Thereafter, it shall be the responsibility of a member to ensure that his or her name is duly entered in the Ward Register.
“So, this is the constitutional provision of our party in line with our membership registration.
“You are all aware. We have three sitting governors in the committee. And you should know that none of the governors is seeking for job. Already, we have a job. But we have to sacrifice to ensure that we reposition the party.
“So, anybody who is thinking that maybe we are job seekers is wrong. We are not job seekers. We are here to reposition and reunite our party so that we have a party we can all be proud of. “This is our mandate and we are ready to discharge our mandate. That (tenure elongation) is left for NEC of the party to decide. It is not me or caretaker committee to decide. We are operating within the limit
of our assignment because NEC of the party said we must rebuild the party bottom up….So, it is not for us to say that we are extending (tenure)”.
On his part, Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, dismissed insinuations that the caretaker committee was planning to extend its tenure. He said, “You may also recall that 2 days before the caretaker committee was saddled with the responsibility of leading the party, the party lost a serving governor to the opposition. So the chairman (caretaker committee) came at the time when the morale was weak, but the committee worked so hard, including wining the Ondo State gubernatorial election with the reconciliation of members and the national executive committee meeting that ushered in the caretaker committee did not give a definite date.
“We are conscious that these assignments will unfold and intervening circumstances across the country has made it more difficult, but certainly they are not people that are not seeking for appointments or seeking to stay, particularly the chairman. The sacrifices in Yobe and daunting challenges he faces and he will rather remain there every day.”